Dark Resonance
by Lord Lycaon
Summary: Months after the Kishin Asura's defeat, Maka Albarn began experiencing strange dreams, each more frightening than the last. And after an attack by a pair of strage newcomers on the DWMA, the young meister begins experiencing something that seems terrifyingly familiar, something far worse than the Black Blood. Just who is the one responsible for this new wave of madness?
1. Chapter 1

**Before anyone makes any complaints, this story takes place after the ****_anime_****. So I hope nobody plans on asking why Character A isn't in this, or why Character B doesn't have a bigger role. Sorry if I seem rude saying it like this, but I just wanted to make sure everyone understood this. Now then, I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of Dark Resonance.**

-o-

It was a wonderful morning in Death City. People chatted as they wandered through the streets, the sun laughing as it slowly rose into the heavens. Maka Albarn sat up and stretched as she awakened. She had had a pretty decent night's sleep, so she was in a good mood. None of those weird dreams she had been having recently at least. She quickly got dressed and headed to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

_What to make?_ she asked herself as she walked down the hall. She and Soul had omelets yesterday, so maybe she would fix up some pancakes today. The only problem was that they didn't have any syrup to put on them. Oh, well. Soul could eat just about anything anyway, so she supposed that it didn't really matter.

When she opened a cabinet in the kitchen she felt a sudden chill down her spine. She turned around, only to see the lichen table and the chairs. It was an unsettling feeling, but it may have just been a draft or something.

-o-

Soul Eater yawned sleepily as he shut off his alarm clock. He sat up and looked around his bedroom. He sighed in relief. Blaire hadn't snuck into his room again, so that meant that Maka wouldn't whack him with one of her patented Maka Chops.

He climbed out of bed and stretched. He looked out his window and smirked. From the way things were going so far, today might be a pretty cool day. He got dressed in his usual yellow and black jacket and dark red pants and headed down to the kitchen, where he could smell something cooking.

When he arrived in the kitchen, he saw Maka standing over the stove fixing pancakes. "Morning, Maka," he said as he took his seat at the table.

"Good morning, Soul," the young meister said with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"No, I was up tossing and turning all night," Soul deadpanned. "That's why I'm in such a good mood. You?"

"Yeah, I slept fine."

"You didn't have that dream again?"

"No. I slept like a baby." She kept a slightly nervous smile on her face. It had been a few months after Asura's defeat, and things had returned to their normal schedule. Well, except for Spirit helping Maka to hone the weapon powers she had inherited from him. Other than that, things were pretty much back to normal. Until the dreams started.

Sometimes, when Maka slept, she would have a bizarre vision. A younger version of herself would be wandering aimlessly through a dark, eerie forest, looking frightened of something. Then, out of nowhere, a monstrous shadow would appear and devour her in an instant. The worst part was that the last thing she would always see before darkness finally consumed her vision was an image of one of her friends suffering somehow: Kid was trapped in a room with no doors or windows, and walls that were painted with nightmarish, asymmetric images that Maka was too afraid to describe. Black Star was being dragged down a seemingly bottomless ocean by an unseen force, with some divine light always just beyond his reach. The others were far too gruesome for her to think about, especially Patty's. There was simply too much blood. The only one she had yet to see was Soul, and she wasn't exactly excited to see that one.

Soul looked at her with a rare analytical stare. He soon shrugged and said, "If you say so." Soon after that, they had their breakfast. When they finished, they collected their things and left for the DWMA.

-o-

Death the Kid took a deep breath and exhaled with a grin on his face. He was always thrilled to be at his father's school. The building's perfect symmetry always put him in a really good mood.

"Isn't it just wonderful?" he asked Liz and Patty, the former of whom couldn't have cared less about the building's symmetry and the latter being distracted by a butterfly that just happened to be flying by at that time.

"Yeah, sure," Liz said in a bored tone. She followed up with a tired yawn. "It's really amazing." At this point, the butterfly that had Patty's attention had landed on her nose, making the girl giggle loudly.

"We should get going," Kid advised his weapon partners. "It wouldn't be a good idea to keep our teachers waiting. Besides, I have an attendance record to maintain."

"Two hours late is not a record, Kid," Liz deadpanned.

"DON'T SAY TWO!" Kid shouted with that face of his that always screams OCD. "IT'S NOT-!"

"It's not symmetrical, I know. Sheesh." Liz walked on right past her meister. "Let's just get to class."

Kid glared at the elder Thompson sister as she and Patty walked ahead of him. He shook his head and followed after them, quickly getting in front of them both. He was about to say something as they walked, but just as he was about to…

"Yahoo!" A black and white blur crashed into him from above, causing an explosion of dirt and debris. When the smoke cleared, the familiar blue-haired form of Black Star stood atop Kid's unconscious body, giving a thumbs-up and an idiotic grin. "Behold, mortals! The man who will one day surpass God is finally here! You may now proceed to bask in the glory that is Black Star!" The young assassin then laughed heartily.

"Black Star!" called Tsubaki's voice. She came running over, gasping slightly. When she was a few feet away, she said, "Don't rush off like that! And did you have to crash into Kid?"

Black Star gave the dark-haired girl a confused look, then looked down at his feet to see the smoking pile of flesh that was Death the Kid. "Whoops!" he said as he stepped off of the young Grim Reaper. "I didn't see you there, Kid! Sorry about that!"

"I want fruitcakes on my bananas, Mommy," Kid muttered nonsensically. Liz sighed as she picked up the barely conscious boy with Patty's help. It was then that Maka and Soul arrived.

"Hey, guys," Soul said with a smirk and a wave. He and Black Star high-fived, as usual. "It looks like today might be pretty cool. Not as cool as yours truly, but still cool."

"You bet!" Black Star agreed wholeheartedly with loud laugh. The group then headed into the academy, each of them looking forward to a good day at school.

-o-

Through a pair of binoculars, a dark-haired man with a cigarette in his mouth observed the DWMA's most renowned team. He studied one of them in particular. "We finally found the subject," he said to a red-haired woman. "Not exactly what I was expecting, but it seems like this'll only be easier on us."

The woman scoffed. "You shouldn't underestimate a student of the DWMA. From what I hear, Death treats all of them as though they were his own children."

"Whatever," the man replied with a shrug. He took a long drag on his cigarette, then tossed it away. "We'll still get our paycheck."

"Even if we have to face Death himself to get it?" the woman asked with some level of doubt in her voice.

The man chuckled. "Especially if we have to face Death. If he were so tough, he would've gotten to me by now. My heart might not be beating anymore, but I'm still kicking." And with that, the pair left their perch atop a building near the academy. They were going to acquire their target one way or another.


	2. Chapter 2

The classroom was filled with the usual chatter of students. As they all waited for Prof. Stein to arrive to begin class, Maka sat reading one of her favorite books. It had a truly captivating plot, and was a great read, but she couldn't help but think that the hero was just a little bit whiny. She was so caught up in her book that Stein had to call out to her specifically in order to get her attention, making some of the class laugh at her expense.

"That's enough, class," Stein said as he cranked the screw in his head. He looked around and raised an eyebrow. "It appears that Crona is absent. Oh, well. I guess we'll just have to start without him. Today, we'll be dissecting…"

That was about where Maka lost interest. The last thing she wanted was to see some poor animal's innards. She got enough gore in her dreams lately. She held her head in her hand, not even paying attention as Stein prepared to cut open what looked like a large tortoise of some type. Her mind wandered in her head. Then, for reasons she couldn't explain, she felt… tired. She didn't know why. She had a good night's sleep just last night. Maybe it was just boredom. But she suddenly felt the need to sleep. It was impossible to resist, she found, and she soon drifted off to sleep.

-o-

_She stood in what looked like a nighttime desert covered in gray sand. The moon floated overhead, but there was something disturbing about it. Normally, the moon held a mad grin on its face, no matter what. If a situation was troubling, blood would poor out from its mouth. The moon above her was still a crescent at least, but it lacked that strange grin. It now held a look of complete despair, with tears streaming from its eyes. It was one of the few things she had ever seen that truly unnerved her._

_"Isn't it beautiful?" said a woman's voice behind her. She spun around to face the speaker. The one behind her was nothing more than a silhouette in the shape of a woman. The shadow's eyes glowed an eerie green. "The moon is such a simple thing. In reality, it's nothing more than a chunk of rock floating through space, endlessly circling the Earth, but thanks to Death's magic, it holds a madman's smile." The shadow looked up at the moon. "Personally, I think that this version of the moon is much better. Don't you agree, Maka?"_

_"Who are you?" Maka asked immediately. "How did you know my name? Where am I?"_

_The shadow chuckled. "So eager for answers. You must realize by now that information is a commodity. I'll answer your questions. For a small fee."_

_"What fee?"_

_"That one I'll answer for free," the shadow said jokingly. "All you have to pay is a tiny bit of your own sanity. A fair trade, no?"_

_"What!?" Maka shouted in shock. "No! There's no way I'll give into madness!"_

_The silhouette chuckled again. "Eventually, we all have to. But I didn't bring you here to drive you crazy. I pulled you into your inner realm to warn you about something."_

_"Inner realm?"_

_"Do you want me to answer that? It'll cost you."_

_"Never mind. What did you want to warn me about?"_

_"Another freebie," the shadow said with a sigh and a shrug. "Oh, well. I just need to tell you a little story. Trust me, it'll be worth your time."_

_"Then tell me."_

_The figure cleared its throat. "Eons ago, before true humans existed, the only sentient being was Lord Death. You know about that, right?" Maka nodded. "Good. That makes things simpler. You see, there's a part of this story that wasn't told. Only Death knows about it." Maka narrowed her eyes. "You're learning not to ask questions. Smart girl. Anyway, the hidden portion of this story revolves around a certain pair of witches named Hecate and Circe. These two were created by Death to act as his first enforcers in the early days of human existence."_

_"Lord Death created the witches?"_

_"I'll you figure that one out on your own," the shadow replied. "Anyway, the twins Hecate and Circe served as Death's greatest followers. They invented many of the spells that modern witches use to this very day, and some spells that are so powerful, only Death could ever hope to counter them. Hecate was a master of defensive spells and techniques used to confuse the opponent. Circe specialized in all-out combat, having created spells that would make a human hydrogen bomb look like a firecracker. As you can probably tell, Circe preferred action before diplomacy. Eventually, Circe became fed up with Death and Hecate's peaceful solutions to dicey situations."_

_"I'm going to guess that she decided to rebel," Maka theorized._

_"That's right. Needless to say, she failed, but she came dangerously close to killing the Grim Reaper." Maka's eyes widened at that revelation. "As I said, Hecate and Circe were incredibly powerful. The battle lasted for ten full days and nights, but between Death's attacks and Hecate's impenetrable defense, Circe was eventually defeated and finally put down."_

_"Why are you telling me this?"_

_"That's the last free question I'll ever give you," the silhouette warned the young meister. "I'm telling you this because there is a cult that seeks to resurrect Circe, and you and your friends are a key in their plot. Especially you, young weapon-meister hybrid."_

_"Wh-?" Maka quickly stopped herself. She didn't want to be reminded about the price of the shadow's answers._

_The shadow looked up at the frowning, crying moon. "It's about time you got back. I don't think your friends would like it if you slept through it."_

_Maka wanted to ask what the shadow meant, but couldn't. She had so many questions that desperately needed answering, but couldn't because of the shadow's price. Soon, darkness once again clouded her vision._

-o-

"Maka!" called a familiar male voice. "Maka! Wake up!" The young meister picked her head up off the desk. She must have really fallen asleep. She looked in the direction of the voice that had woken her up. Soul was standing over her, a manic look on his face.

"Soul?" she asked as she wiped her eye with a gloved hand. "What's wrong?" She was answered by the sound of an explosion.

"The academy's under attack!" Soul shouted as he began transforming into a scythe. Fully awakened by the explosion's ruckus, Maka took hold of the scythe that had once been a young man and rushed to help fight off whoever was bold enough or stupid enough to attack her school.


	3. Chapter 3

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Explosions rang through the halls of the Academy in a lethal symphony of destruction. The attackers were unidentified, but were already considered extremely dangerous. Maka rushed through the halls, brandishing Soul's scythe form. She sought out the intruders through their soul wavelengths, which were actually… frightening. That was the only word she could think of to describe them.

Two souls: one blood red and vaguely shaped like a female devil, and one dark gray that resembled the head of a dead man, with thin X's for eyes and a sewn-shut mouth. Not only were their appearances disturbing, but the power behind them was incredible. Terrifying even.

"Maka, you all right?" Soul asked his meister, who looked perturbed as she ran down the hallway.

"Those souls," Maka replied. "The souls of the ones attacking the Academy. I can see them. Their just… intimidating. That's all."

Soul chuckled. "Don't tell me the girl who beat the Kishin Asura by punching him in the face is afraid of some lower-level baddies."

Maka smirked and said, "Of course not!" _Still…_

The sound of Black Star's trademark "Yahoo!" suddenly echoed through the halls. Maka could see his and Tsubaki's souls in conflict with the soul that looked like a dead man. She nodded in approval. Black Star's wild, hard-to-predict nature could give Dead-Head a good bit of trouble. She decided now to focus on the other soul.

-o-

Black Star leaped and dodged the blows thrown by the guy with the cigarette in his mouth. The stranger wore mostly black clothing, except for a denim jacket, along with a pair of red-rimmed sunglasses. The newcomer held a cocky smirk on his face to match the blue-haired assassin's wild grin.

"You're pretty good, kid," the smoker said as he threw a kick at Black Star's face. The young ninja ducked under the attack and swung Tsubaki's kusarigama blade at the man's feet. The attacker leaped and back-flipped away from the blow.

"You're not too shabby, yourself, pal," Black Star said with a wide grin. "But that's not good enough to beat the guy who's going to surpass God one day!"

"Surpass God, eh? That's a pretty lofty goal you've got there. I guess that makes us kindred spirits of a sort."

"Huh?"

The man chuckled. "Never mind. Just thinking out loud. I tend to do that from time to time." He took his cigarette from his mouth and puffed out a small cloud. He flicked the cancer stick at Black Star, who stepped aside so that the cigarette wouldn't land on him. Then, out of nowhere, the cigarette exploded, sending the young assassin flying back and crashing into a wall.

"Black Star!" called Tsubaki's voice from the kusarigama. She morphed to her human form and held the injured boy in her lap. He sat up some and glared the man, who was currently in the process of lighting another cigarette.

"You bastard!" Black Star shouted at the smoker, who was simply chuckling in response. "That was a dirty trick!"

"This coming from the assassin who wants to surpass God," the man stated calmly, that smirk still on his face. "If you want to reach a goal like that, you've got to start punching below the belt, if you know what I mean."

The blue-haired assassin spat angrily and said, "Tsubaki, we're not pulling anymore punches! Enchanted Sword Mode!" Tsubaki nodded and quickly transformed into a black-bladed katana. He moment he took hold of the sword, his body was covering in black markings.

The smoker raised an eyebrow at this. _Now that's interesting._

-o-

Maka stood before the owner of that red soul she saw earlier. From the look of the soul, she was expecting to see a witch or something, but instead, she was facing a young woman who only looked about two years older than her. She had long red hair that reached down to her waist and startling red eyes. She wore an outfit like an up and coming pop star. It was a wild red dress covered in musical designs. The dress was a V-neck, so it showed off a fair amount of the other girl's not-too-humble cleavage. Maka suddenly felt self-conscious. She stood in a ready stance. "Who are you?"

"I'm so glad you asked!" the redhead spouted back giddily. Her voice was that of a stereotypical California girl. "I'm the world's next top pop sensation! Call me Lillian!"

"She seems spunky," Soul commented. He quickly received a glare from his meister, to which he would've rolled his eyes in human form.

"Well, _Lillian_," Maka said as she prepared to charge, "get ready for-!"

"Pop stardom!" Lillian suddenly blurted out, throwing Maka for a loop for a second. Out of nowhere, Lillian produced an incredibly girly microphone, stand and all, and apparently got ready to…

"She's not going to…" Soul trailed off.

Lillian took a deep breath.

"Yeah," Maka confirmed. "I think she is."

Lillian then suddenly screamed into the microphone. Out of the ground, two enormous speakers exploded upward. The following sound was like a million tiny nuclear bombs setting off in their ears. Maka dropped Soul and covered her ears in a vain attempt to block out the sound. Soul became human again and attempted the same, failing just as miserably.

"Oh, yeah!" Lillian cheered herself on. "That was an awesome first note! Now for the chorus!" She was just about to "sing" again when she was suddenly interrupted.

"Scream Resonance!" That cry was followed by an ear-splitting shriek that caught Lillian completely off guard. As Maka slowly regained the ability to hear, the familiar pink-haired form of Crona came up to her and asked, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Maka replied. "Just dizzy. Where've you been?"

"Ragnarok broke my alarm clock last night," Crona explained, "so I slept in on accident."

"You wanna know the baby's reaction when he found out?" Ragnarok asked as his head popped out from Crona's back. "'I'm late for class! I don't know how to deal with that!' True story. Swear to God."

Maka sighed. These two were hopeless sometimes. "Can you guys deal with her?" she asked, pointing to a very irritated Lillian. "I think one of my eardrums popped. That could ruin my balance. I won't be able to fight effectively."

Crona nodded. "I'll try." He faced the red-clad redhead, who gave him a curious look.

"You sound like you've got good voice!" she said, suddenly cheerful. "Why don't you come with me, and we can be pop star duo! We'll be totally famous! Crowds of screaming fans will pay just to hear us talk!"

"I'm sorry," Crona said honestly, "but I don't think I know how to deal with being famous."

Lillian pouted for a moment, then shrugged. "Oh, well! More fans for me!" She spun her microphone stand around like it were a staff. "I'll sing to you until your head, like, completely explodes!"

"I don't know how to deal with my head exploding!" Crona complained as he and Lillian charged each other.

-o-

**Fun fact: pop music sucks.**


	4. Chapter 4

Death looked into his mystical mirror, observing the chaos taking place in _his_ academy. Needless to say, he was just a little bit miffed. "Death Scythe!" he called.

Immediately, the red-haired father of Maka Albarn appeared at Death's side. "I'm ready, sir," he said as he morphed into a black-bladed scythe. Death took hold of the weapon and slung the blade over his shoulder.

"Let's get down to business," Death said as he headed out of the Death Room.

-o-

Black Star swung Tsubaki's blade ferociously, aiming to gut the smoker that he was fighting. The stranger was annoyingly agile, jumping, ducking, sidestepping, and just plain dodging all of Black Star's attacks. This was quickly becoming irritating.

"Grr! Hold still, jackass!" the blue-haired boy shouted in anger and frustration.

"What's the magic word?" the man replied tauntingly as stepped aside from yet another downward slash. He moved away from several other attacks before speaking again. "You realize that you leave yourself wide open, right?"

"What?" Black Star asked in surprise. The smoker promptly kneed him in the stomach, then performed a roundhouse right into the young assassin's face. Black Star flew across the room and crashed into a wall. Again.

"You're too focused on rushing the opponent," the man said, still smirking cockily. "That might intimidate lesser foes, but against a guy like me, it'll only get you killed. You need to up the ante a little. Think your movements through before acting. If there's no time to think completely, then just make the time."

"Why would you… give me advice?" Black Star asked suspiciously between heavy breaths

"Simple. I prefer a strong adversary to a weak opponent. And you have the potential to be a great rival. But first, you have to learn to think, not just act." He then dashed over to the assassin with shocking speed and slammed a fist into his face, launching him through the wall. Tsubaki flew out of the blue-haired boy's grip and skidded across the floor before turning human again. She sprinted over to stand over Black Star defensively, ready for anything. The smoker cocked his head from side to side, cracking his neck. He watched the dark-haired ninja girl with a curious gaze.

"Stay away from him," she said protectively. The smoker raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"You really care for the little dunce, don't you?" he asked. He suddenly had a nostalgic, maybe even wistful, look on his face. "Like brother and sister…" he mumbled.

"What?" Tsubaki said with a confused blink.

The man tossed away his current cigarette and stomped it out before turning and walking away. "Nothing," he said as he left them. He threw up his hand to wave them goodbye. "I've gotta go now. See ya later."

"Wait!" Black Star as he sat up in some pain. "Who are you?"

Without turning, the man said, "Call me Bishop." With that, he disappeared, leaving the young meister and his weapon to wonder about him.

-o-

Once again, Lillian screamed into her microphone, unleashing a mindless sound wave that shattered everything in its path. Crona seemed to be the only one immune to the effect, Maka realized, most likely because he also used sound-based attacks. The pink-haired swordsman slashed through debris and other things as he sprinted closer and closer to the pop star wannabe.

"You're totally ruining everything!" Lillian shouted into her microphone. "You're messing up my performance and my music!"

"You call this music!?" Ragnarok exclaimed with a laugh. "I've heard better songs from children's TV shows!"

"Don't taunt her, Ragnarok!" Crona pleaded with his weapon as he hacked through a large chunk of stone. "I don't think I'll be able to deal with her if she's gets even angrier!" Soon, he was finally within range for close combat. He slashed downward, only to have Ragnarok's blade blocked by Lillian's microphone stand. "Ragnarok, cut through it!"

"I'm trying!" Ragnarok grunted out. "This damn thing's a lot harder than it looks! Amping up the vibration isn't doing anything!"

"Of course not!" Lillian said with a disturbingly happy grin. "My microphone is enchanted by my mistress!"

"Mistress?" Maka asked to herself. She was kneeling on the ground next to an unconscious Soul, who had blacked out from the pain caused by Lillian's "music." Lillian suddenly looked like she caught herself.

"Whoops! I almost gave it away!" She jumped away, making Crona stumble a few feet. She landed around fifteen feet away. "My mistress doesn't want me revealing anything just yet! She wouldn't be too happy if I did."

"You're working for someone?" Crona inquired.

Lillian giggled and said, "Of course! She's the most powerful person alive! She makes that Kishin Asura look like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum!" That comment made Maka's eyes widen in shock. If Lillian was working for someone that powerful, then the DWMA is in serious trouble.

"Who is she?" Maka demanded more than asked.

"You really want to know?" Lillian asked back. "Well, okay then! My mistress's name is-"

"Lillian," said a calm, relaxed voice. Out of nowhere, a tall man with a cigarette in his mouth appeared next to her. "You know our mistress doesn't want us revealing anything. That was the agreement in the contract."

"Oh, Bishop!" Lillian said in surprise. "I'm so glad you're here!" She pointed at Crona with a pouty face. "That guy was ruining all my songs! Can't you do something about that?"

"I can," Bishop stated, "but I won't. Besides, can't you feel it? Death is on his way right now. Our mistress told us to abort if he came along."

"But what about her?" the little diva asked, pointing to Maka almost accusingly. "She's the one we came for! And didn't you say that we would fight Death if he got in the way?" Maka stared at the pair in confusion. They were after her?

"I did, but I'm not really in the mood for that." The man called Bishop took his cigarette out of his mouth and breathed out a small cloud of smoke. "Besides, we have to go. I just received a command saying that we have to return to base. The others are waiting for us."

Lillian pouted. "Fine, let's go." Slowly, their bodies began to fade from the feet up.

"Wait!" Maka called. "What does your leader want with me? Why am I so important?"

Bishop chuckled. "Order and chaos. One or the other. No good, no evil. That's how this world works in reality. Believe it or not, your Lord Death is a being of chaos. What does that make us?" Before anyone could answer, the two intruders were gone completely, leaving Maka with countless unanswered questions.

"Oh, dear," said the voice of Death. "It appears we're late." Spirit transformed back into his human form and immediately ran over to Maka.

"Maka!" he called in that ridiculously overprotective way of his. "Are you all right, my precious daughter!?" He tried to hug her, but the meister-weapon hybrid raised her fist so that his face collided with it.

"I'm fine, Dad," she said, slightly angered by his embarrassing actions. She turned to Death, seemed distant for some reason. "Lord Death?"

"Hmm? Yes, Maka?"

"I think we need to talk."

Death mulled it over for a few seconds. "Yes. I suppose we do. Death Scythe, gather up Black Star, Kid, and the others. Crona, you and Ragnarok are coming as well."

"Why do we need the others?" Maka asked.

"Simple, young meister," the Grim Reaper explained. "All of you are tied into the same ultimate destiny."

-o-

Bishop and Lillian appeared from a cloud of smoke in front the doors to a large Gothic mansion. Bishop pushed the left door open and let Lillian enter first. They sauntered down a hallway, Lillian being surprisingly quiet and Bishop acting strangely serious. They soon entered a large rotunda, where three other people awaited them, not including their leader.

"Well, well," said a white-haired man with crazed grin, "it looks like the favorites failed. Why show your faces here if you screwed up?"

"Shut up, Raith," said a man with wild dark hair. "So what if they came back empty-handed? That just means that we can try our own hand at it."

"Very true, Aramos!" the crazed man said with a wicked laugh.

The third person, an entity that was entirely dark, said nothing. He simply eyed the two who had just returned and gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Welcome back, Bishop, Lillian," said a woman's voice. All eyes fell upon a lone woman who entered the room through the door on the other side. "It is good to know that you are willing to follow orders." Bishop just nodded, as did Lillian. "I have called you back because a certain matter has come to my attention. Maka Albarn is unknowingly carrying our greatest adversary within her own soul."

"Really?" the man called Raith asked curiously. "Oh, goody! Think we can get a couple of rounds in against her?"

"That would be suicide on your part, Raith," the woman warned. "We must tread more carefully than before. The girl has become even more dangerous to our plans. If she is to be assimilated to our cause or erased to prevent impediment, we must do so warily. There is no telling what she may be capable of."

All five heads nodded in understanding, some more begrudgingly than the others. Maka Albarn was indeed grave threat. But she may also end up being their greatest asset.


	5. Chapter 5

Within the bizarre chamber called the Death Room, Maka, Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, and Crona and Ragnarok stood gathered before Lord Death, Spirit, Stein, and Marie Mjolnir. Spirit checked his watch, looking impatient. "What's taking Kid and Liz and Patty so long? They should be here by now."

Right on cue, the Thompson sisters came into the room, Death the Kid passed out on Liz's back, blood leaking out of his mouth. "Sorry!" Liz called out. "When Kid saw that the school's symmetry had been ruined, he coughed up blood and blacked out. Not to mention that the initial explosion tore his clothes and threw off his own symmetry."

Death sighed at that. Kid was pretty much hopeless when it came to symmetry versus asymmetry. "I suppose we should wake him up," he said.

"Allow me," Soul said with a smirk. He walked over to where Liz set Kid and said, "Hey, Kid, if you don't wake up, we'll take one of the chairs out of your house's dining room."

"NO!" Kid screamed as he shot up, eyes wide. "You can't do that! It'll ruin the symmetry!" He glared at Soul, who was still smirking. "I'll kill you if you do!"

The Grim Reaper cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Now that everyone is here and awake, I guess I should start. First, does anyone have any questions?"

"Who were those people who attacked?" Maka asked immediately.

Death was silent for several seconds before answering. "The man is named Bishop Irving. The girl is Lillian Sonorous. They are two of a group of five extremely dangerous assassins. I have faced most of them in battle before. I was only able to kill one of them, but he didn't stay dead."

"What?" asked Marie, with a confused look. "How is that possible? Did he become a zombi, like Sid?"

"Not quite," Death said with a shake of his head. "He did die. However, his soul refused to leave his body, and sustains it to this very day. But even he isn't our biggest concern."

"Then who is?" Tsubaki inquired.

"One of the original two witches." When Death said that, Maka's eyes went wide.

"Circe," she said without thinking. All eyes immediately fell on her.

Death cocked his head curiously. "How did you know about Circe, Maka?"

"I…" She hesitated. She looked over at Soul. All he did was give a single nod. She sighed and said, "Lately, I've been having strange dreams. And just this morning, during Professor Stein's lecture, I kind of… fell asleep… I think."

"You think?" Spirit said worriedly.

"I don't know. It's hard to explain. I was in a strange desert with a frowning moon, and there was this shadow creature there. By its voice and general shape, I guess it was woman. She told me about the story of Hecate and Circe the original two witches. She also said that you were one who created witches, Lord Death."

Everyone's eyes widened at that revelation, and they all stared at Death in shock. The Grim Reaper sighed and said, "It's true. I did create the first witches. The world was growing heavily populated, so I eventually required aid. I found to young girls who had very powerful souls and taught them how to use the energy of their souls. They developed quickly, and created every spell that witches use today. Unfortunately, Circe, the younger of the two twins, became dark and twisted, and soon built an army of wicked witches. When the elder sister, Hecate, and I defeated Circe, that army scattered around the world. Many of them swore vengeance against us, and some even vowed to one day resurrect Circe, and return the world to the very threshold of madness."

"So basically," Stein spoke up, "Circe was the first evil witch. And just about every witch after has been a villain."

"Basically." Death returned his attention to Maka and the others. "If Circe is resurrected, then it could very well be the end of everything that we've worked towards. I want all of you to go and prepare for whatever may come our way." Everyone nodded and made to leave. "Maka, I'm going to have to ask you to stay."

"What? Why?"

"I wish to speak with you in private. Everyone else, you may go." All but Maka then left the room, with Soul and Spirit giving the young scythe meister worried looks. When Maka and Death were the only ones in the room, the Grim Reaper said, "Tell me everything that the stranger from your vision told you."

"Not much," Maka admitted. "She… or it… just told me the story of Hecate and Circe, and that someone was trying to bring Circe back."

"What did she look like?"

"She was just a silhouette. But she did have this weird pair of glowing green eyes."

Death sighed. "I was afraid of that." Maka gave him a confused look. "That's Circe's favorite look when meeting with new people."

The meister-weapon hybrid's eyes went wide at that. "Wh-what?"

"I'm going to guess that the desert-like realm that you met her in was actually your inner world. Your soulscape."

"My soulscape?" Maka asked. She had read about those. They were supposedly only accessible to their owners, but could be broken into with the right method. "But how did she get there in the first place?"

"She's most likely inhabiting you until she is reawakened," Death theorized. "You do bear a striking resemblance to her from when she was about your age. It's likely that you're a reincarnated variant of her."

Her eyes were wide with horror now. "I'm… I'm her reincarnation?"

"It's a definite possibility. But this doesn't make you the same person. Just know this…" He leaned forward, his mask contorting into a serious appearance. "Don't let her tempt you, no matter what. If you let her have her way, you will most certainly either die or become the greatest threat the world has ever seen. You could become something whose power dwarfs that of Asura."


	6. Chapter 6

Maka walked down the street to her and Soul's apartment, her head hanging and her mind constantly rerunning the talk she had had with Lord Death. Was she really the reincarnation and host of the most powerful witch in history? And if that was true, why her? What makes her so important? Was it fate, or was it just plain bad luck?

_"What makes you think that it's bad luck?"_ Maka looked up in surprise at the voice, finding that she had somehow been pulled into that grey desert again, and, big surprise, found the scowling moon and the shadow woman waiting for her. Maka's eyes narrowed at the shadow.

"Circe," she said with disdain in her voice.

"So, Death told you about little old me, hmm?" Circe said with a chuckle. She almost seemed pleased by the knowledge. "Guess there's no point in keeping my appearance a secret anymore." Her shadowy form quickly dissipated, revealing… Maka.

"What the hell? Stop playing games!" the original Maka demanded. The new Maka looked exactly the same as the original, except that she wore a black cloak. She even had the same pigtails and dark green eyes.

"I'm not playing, Maka," Circe assured her. "This is honestly what I really look like. Well, before Death and Hecate got their way at least. I was only about fifteen when I rebelled against them."

Maka's eyes went wide in shock. "You were fifteen… but you were the most powerful evil witch in the world. That's… that's unbelievable."

Circe laughed as though she had just heard an amazing joke. "'Evil?' Please. There's no such thing as 'good' or 'evil.' There's only order and chaos. Either one can be called good or evil, but it's always based on perspective. What you call doing good, others might consider evildoing."

"Just tell me what you want, Circe," Maka ordered the witch.

"My, my, so impatient." Circe sighed with a mischievous look on her face. "I just want to ask you one question. Do you believe Death is in the right?" Maka narrowed her eyes again, not trusting the ancient witch. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not trying to turn you against him or anything. I'm simply trying to help you open your eyes to the ways of the world."

Maka waited for several moments. "I have complete faith in Lord Death."

"Faith in a person and belief in that person's ideals are two different things, my dear," Circe said, her face becoming frighteningly serious. "To have 'faith' in someone is to trust them. To 'believe' in their ideals is share the same mindset. Tell me, do you really want to spend your entire life as some skull-faced weirdo's servant?"

"Lord Death may be odd," Maka admitted, "but he's a great man and a great leader. You're just a selfish witch hell bent on destruction."

"I'm really nothing more than a messenger of chaos," the witch stated. "You may not want to admit it, but you yourself are also a chaotic being. You can deny it all you want, but you, your friends and family, and even Death himself are all creatures of chaos. There's not a single being in the universe save for one who is truly an orderly entity."

"I'm nothing like you. I'm not evil."

"You really need to learn how to listen. Good and evil never existed in the first place. Order and chaos are the only concepts that can match them, but they're never just one exclusively. Order can be just as 'evil' as chaos. Chaos can be just as 'good' as order."

"Are you saying that Lord Death is the bad guy here?" Maka asked.

"You willing to pay the price for that question?"

Maka glared at the witch before something came to her. "I think I know why you're so eager to make me give up my sanity." Circe raised an eyebrow. "You want to take over my body, and me having lost my mind will make it all the easier for you, won't it?"

"I'll count that as a question," Circe stated. Suddenly, Maka felt the worst migraine in history rampaging in her head. She fell to her knees, clutching her head with her eyes wide. The migraine soon faded. Maka looked back at Circe, who now held a tiny floating pink sphere in her hand. "Like I said. Only a tiny piece of your sanity. And the answer to your question is yes, you being insane would make it a thousand times easier to take over your body. But I'm not after that. It's really just the way that I do things."

"You…" Maka stared at the tiny sphere with wide eyes. According to Circe, that thing represented a piece of her mind. "Give that back!"

"Too late," Circe said with a grin. Then, in exactly the same way that Soul Eater ate souls, Circe downed the little pink thing and swallowed it whole. She licked her lips. "Mmm. That was surprisingly good. Tastes sort of like strawberries with a hint of chocolate."

Maka simply stared at the witch, utterly dumbfounded. Circe had just eaten a physical manifestation of her sanity! Was that even really possible? She wanted to deny it, but she simply couldn't think of another explanation. She even felt it in her mind. It was incredibly vague, barely noticeable, but something was nonetheless… different. Something was off.

"You're already noticing the change, eh?" the witch inquired with a light chuckle. "Look, I really don't want us to turn out to be enemies. The witches of the world may want to resurrect me, but that's actually the least of your troubles right now."

Maka was about to ask the witch what she meant, but caught herself before she could. She would have to figure it out on her own. "Just send me home."

"All righty then," Circe said as she snapped her fingers, making the desert world slowly fade into blackness. "Just remember one thing: I'm on your side, kiddo." With that, darkness reigned.

-o-

Maka found herself standing in front of the door that led to her apartment. Her body must have been moving on its own while she was conversing with Circe. She took a deep breath and headed inside, where she found Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Kid, and Liz and Patty waiting for her. "What's going on?" Maka asked. "What's everybody doing here?"

"We were all worried about you when we left you with Lord Death," Tsubaki said with a concerned look. "What did he talk to you about?"

"Oh… um…" Maka hesitated to answer. Just before she left, Lord Death had told her not to speak of Circe's presence with anyone, not even her friends. She mentally cursed as she tried to think of something. "It was just… it's nothing too important. You guys don't need to worry about it."

"Are you sure, Maka?" Soul asked. "If something's bothering you-"

"I said it's fine," Maka interrupted as she walked past him. She stopped by the hall that led to her room. "Look, I appreciate your concern everybody, but… I just need some time to myself right now. I'll be in my room." And with that, she left for her bedroom, all eyes focused on her with worried looks.

When she got to her room, she immediately plopped down onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling, the day's events running through her mind backwards, forwards, and sideways. Circe was definitely inside her soul now, and had said some truly frightening things. What if she was telling the truth? Was Lord Death really in the right, or could he be wrong about something? She sighed quietly and turned onto her side. She would try to get some sleep. Maybe that would help her. She closed her eyes and willed herself to drift off.

-o-

Within Maka's soulscape, Circe sat in the sand, watching the motionless moon as blood dripped from its mouth. _Eating her sanity may not have helped my case,_ she thought with a depressed sigh. _I need to gain her trust. We need to stop her somehow. Maka's the only one who can do it now._


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, guys. Sorry it took me a few days to update any of my stories, but I've been busy with my life. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

-o-

Maka was glad that it was a Saturday, considering she slept in way later than normal. She yawned as she left her room, still in her nightclothes, and headed for the kitchen to get something to eat. She was surprised to see Tsubaki and Black Star still at the apartment, Tsubaki currently standing over the oven fixing some food.

"Good morning, Maka," Tsubaki greeted Maka with a smile.

"Hey," Maka said. "What are you guys still doing here?"

"When Kid and Liz and Patty left, these two insisted on staying the night," Soul answered as he munched on some toast.

"It sounded to us like those guys who attacked the academy were after to you," Black Star stated with one of his rare serious tones, though he still had a cocky grin. "I figured you'd like to have the man who will surpass God as your bodyguard until further notice."

"Oh. I see." Maka sat at the kitchen table, where Tsubaki soon handed her a plate of eggs. She thanked her and began eating. These eggs were much better than what Maka usually cooked, she admitted to herself as she ate.

"How'd you sleep?" Soul asked her.

"Fine. No bad dreams."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

Soul didn't look entirely convinced, but didn't pry. He knew that she probably wouldn't tell him no matter how hard he tried to get her to talk, unless she wanted to of course. "All right," he said simply. He quickly finished eating and headed for the living room. "I'm gonna go watch TV. Just call out if you need anything."

"Okay." As Soul left the room, soon followed by Black Star, Maka crossed her arms on the table and rested head down. She felt terrible about not telling Soul or anyone else the whole story, but she had been asked not to by Lord Death himself.

"Is something wrong, Maka?" Tsubaki asked.

The young meister faced the dark-haired girl who was one of her closest friend, looking her right in the eye. "No," she lied. "I'm fine."

-o-

Something wasn't right, Kid thought as he searched throughout the library. The fact that Maka somehow knew of the enemy had been bothering him, and the way she had been so secretive about her conversation with his father only made him more suspicious. Just how much did Maka really know? Who is this Circe? Just what did Maka and Death talk about that he and the others couldn't know about? He had to find out.

He had already gone through about twenty books regarding the known history of witches. He was currently reading a book regarding the Salem Witch Hunts, but found nothing that could answer his questions. He sighed as he closed the book and stared up at the ceiling. Something was afoot, and he had a feeling that things are far worse than what his father let on.

He got up from his seat at the desk and went to try and find some other possible sources. He scanned through numerous shelves, finding nothing of any true interest. He was just about to give up. It didn't seem like the academy library would have any of the information that he needed. Just then, he heard strange whispers coming from behind. He turned around, but saw nothing. Until he heard the whispers again. His eyes narrowed, and he followed the noises.

He soon found himself facing what appeared to be an ordinary bookshelf. It didn't seem too special, except for the fact a few of the spines on the books were blank. _"Fourth shelf,"_ a voice whispered to him. He looked around again, but found no one. _"Third from the left. The knowledge you seek shall be there."_

"Who's there?" Kid called out. He waited a few moments, but received no answer. Still suspicious of that voice, he looked for the book it had described, finding a dusty old tome with a brown cover. He pulled it out, but it would only go about halfway before a soft _clank_ was heard. The wall to his left suddenly opened like a door, revealing a set of stairs leading downward into the academy's underground. How did he not know about that?

He looked down into the dark abyss. There were torches on either side of the wall where the light wouldn't be able to reach, and (thankfully for Kid's sake) they were aligned symmetrically. After a few moments, he headed down into the darkness.

-o-

It felt as though he had been walking for hours. The torchlight was dimmer the farther down he went, and he was eventually forced to ruin the hall's symmetry by taking one of the torches so that he could see.

This passage was simply huge. It just kept going and going and going with no end in sight. Eventually, however, he found a huge door before him. It was intricately carved showing a pair of demonic skeletons in poses as if to act as guardians. Upon the door was a carved sign that bore a message in what appeared to be Latin: _Mors tantum sanguinis porta aperiretur._

"'This gate may only be opened by the blood of Death,'" Kid translated. The carving appeared to be as old as the pyramids of Egypt that he had once visited. But the DWMA was just over 800 years old. Was this chamber built before the academy was?

Under the sign, he noticed a small notch big enough for his whole arm to fit through. It was probably designed for his father's large, blocky fingers. He narrowed his eyes once again. Considering he was the son of Death, maybe his blood would work to open to the door. He put his arm into the hole and waited. He felt a light sting as something pricked his arm, and he pulled out. For a few seconds, nothing happened.

He was almost going to try again, but the door then opened slowly outward, revealing the chamber within. The room was surprisingly well lit, he thought as he entered the room. In the center of the room was a single pedestal, upon which an old-looking book lay. He approached it, holding his torch just enough so that he could see the book without burning it. on the cover was a single word written in the fanciest cursive he had ever seen: _Diary_.

_An old diary?_ Kid thought curiously. What would such a thing be doing down here? And whose was it? He was considering picking it up when the thought came across that this room may be booby trapped. He took a deep breath and took hold of the book, gently picking it up from the pedestal. He waited for something to happen. Flamethrowers, giant boulders, collapsing floors, anything. But there were no results. He gave a breath of relief and left the chamber, stuffing the diary into his shirt in a way that wouldn't completely ruin his outfit's symmetry. He would examine the book once he got back home.

-o-

Within a large, Gothic castle, a woman in white sat upon what seemed to be a regal throne. She slowly opened her eyes, not once losing her emotionless expression. The Grim Reaper's son had found the diary. "Soon," she whispered to herself.


	8. Chapter 8

A dark figure eyed the large, gothic manor with hungry eyes. The son of the Grim Reaper must be reading the diary by now. The man licked his lips in anticipation. He couldn't wait to go and raise hell.

-o-

Kid sat at his desk, simply staring with wide, disbelieving eyes at what he was reading. The diary detailed the events of what happened when Circe rebelled against Death and Hecate. It was not what he was expecting. He closed the diary slowly and deliberately. As he rose from his chair, he knew that he had to tell everyone about his discovery.

As he left his room with the diary tucked under his arm, he thought back on what he had read. If it was true, than things might be more difficult than he originally thought. Circe would be the least of their worries.

"Trouble sleeping?" said a wicked voice suddenly. Kid jumped and turned to a window behind him to see a bizarre-looking man sitting on the windowsill. He looked like a medieval court jester, with face paint that made him look like a mad clown. His eyes were a bloody shade of red, and his outfit was a chaotic jumble of blues, yellows, greens, and every other color of the rainbow.

"Who are you?" Kid demanded with serious expression.

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked!" the clown replied with a mad grin. He hopped from his perch and performed a flamboyant bow. "I am called Raith, the Mad Jester. Pleased to meet you, my dear Death the Kid!"

Kid's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, I know so much more than that, my boy! You're the son of Death, and obsessed with symmetry. You use two weapons named Liz and Patty Thompson, both being able to turn into handguns, which suits your style perfectly. But enough of that. About why I'm here." He pointed to the diary in Kid's arms. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take that book you've got there, and I'd rather things didn't get messy."

Kid looked down at the book, then back to Raith with glare. "Sorry, but I don't plan on handing over something like this," he said with absolute certainty. If Raith wanted this diary, then what he found inside must be true after all.

Raith grinned at Kid's response. "Oh, I'm so happy you said that," he stated with little smile. Kid gave the man a surprised glance. Raith's expression suddenly burst into an insane, beaming grin that showed off sharpened teeth. "I lied when I said I didn't want things to get messy!" His fingers then extended into razor blades, and he rushed forward, ready to hack and slash the son of Death.

-o-

The Thompson sisters were going about their usual activities. Liz was painting her nails and blowing them carefully to help them dry, while Patty was busy making animals out of paper and other materials… then promptly breaking their necks and laughing like a psychopath. Yes, a perfectly ordinary day.

_BOOM!_

Liz fell out of her seat and stared around with wide eyes. "What the hell was that!?"

"Maybe Kid saw something that wasn't symmetrical?" Patty theorized with a pondering look.

"Somehow, that wouldn't surprise me," Liz admitted as she got back to her feet. Suddenly, Kid slammed the doors to the room open then hurriedly shut and locked them. "What the? Kid, what's going on?"

"No time!" Kid shouted with a look of panic. "Weapon forms, now!" The sisters quickly complied and transform into their handgun forms, landing in Kid's hands. The son of Death back flipped away from the door just in time to avoid Raith's blades as they shredded the door to pieces.

"Peekaboo!" the madman screamed as he continued his charge. Kid responded by unloading dozens of rounds on the Mad Jester. He didn't stop shooting, even as the room became filled with debris as the bullets wrecked everything they made contact with. Even when the wall collapsed, he kept shooting for almost five minutes. Soon, he stopped shooting to assess the damage.

"I think you got him," Liz stated.

"Victory!" Patty called out.

Kid wasn't quite as convinced. He had fought several opponents similar to this "Raith" character. They never went down this easily. He carefully stepped toward the pile of rubble that now buried the Mad Jester. Several moments later, nothing happened. Maybe he did get him after all.

That was when a clawed hand shot out of the debris, nearly catching Kid's head. He leaped back before the hand could grab him and watched as the psychotic clown pulled himself out of the mess. "Now that was just annoying," said Raith as he stood up, leaning his head from side to side, getting a few satisfying pops. "You almost hit me a few times."

Kid's eyes were wide in shock. The clown didn't have a single scratch on him. Not one of his shots had landed. How was that even possible? "What are you?" Kid asked.

"Just a humble little court jester," Raith replied with another flamboyant bow. He looked up at the dark-haired boy with a sadistic glint in his eye. "With an appetite for blood." At that statement, he dashed forward and slashed down on Kid's torso, drawing a fountain of blood from his chest.

The boy backed off several feet, clutching his chest in an effort to stop the bleeding. "Kid!" Liz and Patty shouted in unison.

"I'm fine," he assured the two girls. "I've been through tougher spots. You two of all people should know that." He went into a ready stance, poised to fire at the first opportunity.

"My, aren't we confident!" Raith said with that maniacal grin of his. He then giggled mischievously. "Get ready, Death the Kid! Because now the party starts for real!" He charged, wildly swinging his blades, forcing Kid to jump and dodge, giving him little time to counter.

The blades sliced clean through everything they touched, turning walls into doorways and paintings into scrap paper. Kid had no choice but to run and shoot at the psychopath, hoping that something would hit him. The blood-thirsty clown twisted and weaved past the storm of bullets. Not a single shot came close to hitting him.

"Liz, Patty!" Kid called to his weapons. "Soul Resonance, now!"

"Right!" both girls answered as the trio began to resonate their souls. Kid turned as the handguns became cannons and aimed at Raith. "Ready when you are, Kid!" Liz announced.

"Fire Death Cannon!" At that, the cannons fired with full force. Raith stopped in his tracks and watched as the massive bolt of raw energy flew towards him.

"Oh, dear," he said as the blast enveloped him. The resulting explosion sent Kid flying back several yards. He skidded across the floor, landing painfully on his back. he groaned as he pulled himself back to his feet, staring at the pillar of dust and debris that had been scattered by the Death Cannon.

Liz and Patty changed back to their human forms and stood behind Kid. "What the hell was that all about?" Liz asked.

"I'm not certain," Kid admitted. He held up the diary that he had found. "I discovered this last night. It would seem that he was after this book."

"Why would he want some diary?" Liz inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I have reason to believe that it may be necessary for his master's plan to succeed."

"You mean that Circe chick?"

"No. Our real enemy is-" He was cut off by a set of five blades piercing his torso like butter. Patty screamed at the sight as the blades drew out of Kid's body.

"Terribly sorry, my boy," the mad clown said as he rose out of the rubble, covered in burns and scars, "but I can't have you spreading rumors." He grabbed the book from Kid's hands and began walking away, waving a hand to the Thompson sisters. "I wouldn't worry too much. He's probably still alive. But you might want to get him treatment before he bleeds to death. I'd like to fight him again sometime." With that, he disappeared.

Liz and Patty slumped over Kid's barely conscious form. "P-Patty, we have to hurry," Liz said. "We need to get him to a doctor, fast." Patty nodded slowly, her usual happy-go-lucky personality gone. Liz hated seeing her little sister like that. It told her that things were only going to get worse before they got better. MUCH worse.


	9. Chapter 9

The door to the infirmary swung open as Maka, Soul, Black Star, and Tsubaki ran in to see a beaten, unconscious Death the Kid lying on one of the cots, covered in bandages with a breathing mask over his mouth. Liz and Patty were sitting on the nearby chairs, both looking completely defeated.

"Liz, Patty, what happened to Kid?" Maka asked with shocked worry. She and the others had heard that Kid had been in some kind of battle, and was gravely injured during.

"Some guy…" Liz said shakily. "I… I don't know why, but he seemed dead set on getting some book that Kid had found somewhere. We barely stood a chance."

Black Star clenched his fists in a rage. "All right, whoever did this is gonna pay dearly! Anybody who harms my friends is going to feel the wrath of the man who's going to surpass God!"

"Cool your jets, Black Star," Soul instructed. "We're all more than a little miffed about this, but we can't let that get to us. We need to keep cool."

"Well put, Soul Eater," said the voice of Lord Death. The group, excluding Patty, who kept staring at Kid, turned to see the Grim Reaper himself accompanied by Stein, Spirit, and Marie Mjolnir. "My son wouldn't want us to lose our heads because of this." He turned to Liz. "You mentioned something about a book. What do you know about it?"

"Well…" Liz thought about it for several moments. "I didn't really get a good look at it, but it looked sort of like a diary. Is that important?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Death admitted with his large, blocky hand on his chin. "But if this stranger wanted to get his hands on it, then it may be safe to assume that he's working for the enemy. That book might just be the diary of Witch Circe herself."

"Circe had a diary?" Tsubaki inquired.

"Yes. I had been looking for it for quite some time, but could never find it. I gave up after I linked my soul to the city. If Kid found it, then it must've been here in Death City all along." He looked over at Kid's unconscious form. "He must've found some detail that I missed. It wouldn't surprise me if he did. He always was a stickler for that kind of thing."

"What's in the diary that's so important?" Black Star asked curiously.

Death shrugged. "Again, I'm not sure. When Circe was defeated, she said that she had hidden her diary somewhere, and that I should read it when I find it. It may contain a powerful spell that she was unable to complete, or explain how and why she became so twisted in the first place. This is really all just conjecture though. I can only assume that Kid read the diary. If so, that would make him the only person in the world who knows what's in that book."

Maka watched Death as he was now watching Kid. She thought that he was being surprisingly calm, considering the fact that his son was practically a vegetable at the moment. But she knew him a little better than that. It was very likely that he was actually seething with rage on the inside. She turned and looked at Kid until a light bulb clicked in her mind. "Lord Death, can I speak with you in private please?"

Death nodded and left the room, Maka following after him. The others simply watched with mild surprise as the two walked away. Soul's eyes narrowed somewhat suspiciously. Maka had been very secretive lately.

-o-

In the Death Room, Maka and Lord Death sat a small table that Death had set up. "So," Death began. "What's on your mind, Maka?"

"I think…" Maka started, pausing for a moment. "I think I might know of a way to find out what's in that diary, even if we don't have it."

"And how would we go about doing that?"

"I could ask Circe myself," Maka explained. "You said that she's living inside my inner world. I was able to confirm that. I think I might be able to convince her to tell me what she wrote in her diary."

Death cocked his head curiously. "Are you certain that that would be safe? She might try to use your curiosity against you. She can be a very deceptive person."

"I know. But she may be willing to tell the truth." Maka intentionally neglected to mention Circe's "price" for questions. She didn't know really know why, but she had the strangest feeling that she shouldn't. It may have been Circe's influence, but she couldn't be sure.

"Very well," Death agreed with a nod. "Once you get Circe's story, report back to me immediately. Understood?"

Maka nodded. "Of course, Lord Death."

-o-

Maka entered her and Soul's apartment, closing the door behind her and heading for the kitchen to fix something to eat. When got there, however, Soul was sitting with his arms crossed, looking rather impatient. "We need to talk, Maka," he said simply.

Maka immediately saw where this was going and took a seat across from him. "What do you want to talk about?"

"What have you been hiding recently?" Soul asked. When Maka gave him a questioning look, he continued. "I know you too well not to notice that you've been dodging questions and avoiding answers. What's going on with you?"

Maka was silent for several seconds, trying to find the right answer. She sighed in defeat and said, "Okay. I'll tell you the truth." And so she did. She told him about everything, from Circe living inside her soul, to the origin of witches, and even what she was going to do to learn what Circe had written in her diary. All the while, Soul listened with a shocked expression on his face.

When Maka finished, he leaned back in his seat, his hand over his face. "Geez. It's just like that little red devil all over again."

"She's actually a little more docile than he was," Maka stated. "She's… not exactly sane form what I've seen of her, but she hasn't actually tried anything legitimately hostile."

Soul groaned. "She's probably just biding her time until she's able to take full control of you. That little devil did that. Who's to say that she won't try that?"

"I never said that I trust her. I promise to be careful when I talk to her next, okay?"

"Just don't do anything stupid, all right? Don't hide things like this from me. If you need help with anything, just say the word."

Maka nodded. "I know." She stood from her seat and went to leave the kitchen to go to her room. "When I'm done, we'll go to the Death Room and talk to Lord Death together."

"All right."

Maka then left the kitchen and soon arrived at her bedroom, where she sat on her bed in a meditative pose. This was a technique that her mother had taught her when she was younger. It was method used to calm oneself, and can allow entry into one's own inner world. Hopefully the latter part would actually work.

-o-

It did.

When Maka opened her eyes after several minutes, she found herself in that dark desert again, the only other person being Circe, who was again staring up at the permanently depressed moon. The witch chuckled in amusement. "I honestly didn't think you would ever want my company, Maka," she stated with a mischievous grin.

"I just need to know something," Maka said seriously. She then took a deep breath. "I'm willing to pay up if you answer truthfully."

Circe stared at the blond girl with obvious surprise. She then suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. "Well, that's certainly a surprise! What's the occasion? Is it my birthday already?"

"Just answer the stupid question," Maka ordered. "What did you write in your diary that's so important?"

At that, Circe's expression became dead serious. "You found out about my diary, huh?" Maka nodded, earning a sigh from Circe. "If you must know, it details the truth of what really happened between my sister and me."

"The truth?"

"Yes. Death says that I went mad and tried to overthrow him. But that's only because he was told Hecate's version of the story. I will tell you the truth."


	10. Chapter 10

**_Place: Outskirts of modern day Athens, Greece_**

**_Year: 437 BC_**

It had been six years since the start of the Peloponnesian War that waged all over Greece. The Athenians and the Spartans were at each other's throats, but it was a stalemate that the humans failed to acknowledge in favor of killing their enemies. Humans are such simple-minded creatures, Circe thought. They liked to think of themselves as being the closest to the gods, but were really nothing more than hairless apes that are slightly more intelligent than their harrier cousins.

Circe was lying on her stomach atop a hill, her head in her hands and her legs gently kicking back and forth in the air. She was currently watching yet another confrontation between Athenian and Spartan messengers. She could just tell that they were about to slaughter each other. "This'll be a good one," she said to herself, a sadistic grin on her face.

"You really should have Lord Death check your mind," said a girl's voice from behind. Circe turned to see her twin sister, Hecate. It was astounding how alike they looked; same sandy blond hair, same green eyes, same lack of physical development despite being sixteen. It was like looking through a mirror that showed one what they would be with an opposite personality.

"I already did," Circe replied with a chuckle. "He said that this extreme personality of mine comes from practicing nothing but combat spells."

Hecate sighed in disappointment at her sister. "I still say that you should consider adding a few defensive spells. Nothing but offense can leave you vulnerable to counterattacks."

"And I say that you need at least one attack spell," Circe retorted, making Hecate huff slightly. Circe returned her attention to the Athenians and Spartans down below them. The two factions were now hacking and slashing at each other, much to Circe's enjoyment. Hecate simply watched the bloodshed, her eyes narrowing in disgust.

"Why do they have to fight?" Hecate inquired to nobody in particular, but catching Circe's attention again. "It's so sad and pointless."

"Humans are fickle," said a powerful voice that the sisters easily recognized. Lord Death had joined them. "They only fight for their own benefit. They kill without hesitation." Hecate was about to respond, but Death stopped her. "However, they are also strong of heart. There are humans who will fight with reason and purpose. It is these humans that we are sworn to protect, for I have the utmost faith that they will play a part in making this world a truly better place."

Circe snorted, but couldn't disagree. Chaotic as she was, even she had her limits. She could see that slim light that some humans had in their hearts. They had the potential to become something truly amazing.

Hecate, however, had her doubts. She eyed the battling factions below, hating every second of the bloodshed. If one looked closely, one could see how hopeless she believed humans to be. Circe didn't miss this, but thought little of it. Her sister would be proven wrong eventually.

-o-

Circe stretched as she awoke in the large bed in her chamber. She could still hardly believe that Lord Death's home was on a land far across the western seas, and that he had somehow built an entire palace in what he claimed to be just three days. It was truly astonishing, but she was growing more and more used to the idea as time passed. She got dressed and left her room, ready to take on the day.

She headed straight for the breakfast hall, where she found Hecate sitting at the table, a stack of incredibly old books and scrolls next to her plate of bread and breakfast meat, as usual. She smirked, a nasty little idea popping into her head. She snuck up behind her sister, and when she was close enough, she covered Hecate's eyes and shouted, "Surprise!"

Hecate barely reacted. "Please don't do that, Circe," she requested. "I'm trying to read."

Circe huffed and released her sister. She took a seat next to Hecate, giving her sister's current book a curious look. "What're you reading?" she asked.

"Something about ancient mystical creatures," Hecate replied. "I've stumbled upon something particularly interesting." Circe raised an eyebrow at that statement and leaned in to get a better look at the pages. It was apparently something about an ancient, interdimensional master of chaos who destroyed countless worlds before he was confronted by a being of order.

"Who the hell is 'Isfet'?" Circe inquired curiously. "He doesn't look or sound very pleasant, and that's coming from me. What makes him so interesting to you?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Hecate answered secretively, her face lacking any sort of expression as she spoke. That alone worried Circe. Her sister had been acting quite strange lately.

-o-

Later that night, Circe lay in bed, but couldn't sleep. Her sister behaving unusually, and that was a major concern for her. She may not have cared about much in the world, but she always kept Hecate close. Before Lord Death came along, all they had was each other and the clothes on their backs. They had been together long enough for Circe to know when something was troubling Hecate. And this was something she needed to know.

Making up her mind, she got out of bed and left her room, heading for Hecate's room. When she arrived, she noticed that Hecate was nowhere to be found, which was _very_ unusual. Hecate was always a stickler for curfew. Circe quickly went through the room, trying to find that book that her sister had been reading during breakfast. She combed the entire room, and eventually found it hidden under Hecate's bed. This was beyond abnormal for Hecate, to hide books. There must've been something in there that she didn't want anyone else to see.

She stood with the book in hand and opened it to the page where she thought her sister was reading about that "Isfet" character. It didn't take her long. Her memory was borderline perfect. When she found the book's entry regarding Isfet, she stopped there and began to read:

_Little is known about Isfet. What is known is limited. He is the master of all chaos, and is believed to be the source of madness. He has enough power to destroy and recreate entire universes. He was confronted by the spirit of order, Ordinis, who managed to convince him to help her create a being that would maintain a balance between their two powers. It is believed that if one were to somehow contact him, he would grant them the power to erase a universe, and, if one so desires, rebuild it their own image._

That last sentence was underlined in bright red ink.

Circe couldn't believe what she had just read. Was Hecate planning to contact Isfet? What the hell was she thinking!?

"You should ask before you shuffle around in someone else's property," said the voice of Hecate, catching Circe off guard. She turned and faced her sister, who had a dark, dispassionate glare.

Circe was rarely ever nervous, but right now, she felt like she was sweating lead. "What are you planning to do, Hecate?" she asked, taking a cautious step back.

"I had thought that that would've been plainly obvious," Hecate replied with sinister neutrality in her tone. "I plan to speak with Isfet and gain his power to make a better world. One without war or violence."

"What? By destroying this one? How would that make things any better!? You'll kill countless innocent people!"

"A sacrifice well worth the reward. One world for a new and better one seems a fair price to pay."

Circe stared at her sister in shock and disbelief. What happened to her to make her think this way? What the hell happened to make her sister so twisted?

"You now know too much, Circe," Hecate stated, her hands suddenly glowing with a bright purple light. "I cannot kill you here, so I will send you away. Far away."

Before Circe had a chance to reply, she was enveloped in a bright, but still menacing light.

-o-

The next thing she knew, she awoke in some field in who knows where. She rose up from the ground, her hand upon her aching head. She looked around. Nothing for miles but grass and the occasional flower. She needed to get back to the mansion. She had to warn Lord Death about what Hecate was planning before she had a chance to do it.

It was nighttime still, she noticed. Either that, or she had been unconscious for a full day. The stars were vivid tonight, thankfully. She was great at reading the night sky like a map, so it shouldn't be too hard for her to get back home.

-o-

Oh, how wrong she was. Hecate had apparently teleported her to the other side of the world, evidenced by the architecture usually found in Asia. By now, Hecate would probably have convinced Lord Death that _she_ was the one who wanted to destroy everything and make a new world. She would never be able to beat them both alone. She needed allies. _Lots _of allies.

-o-

**_Modern day, Maka's soulscape_**

"And so, I gathered people who showed potential for magic," Circe continued. "I trained them for about three years. When I thought that they were ready, I led them to confront Hecate… but I was right. She had already tricked Death into believing her to be the good guy, and me the villain." Her eyes slowly began to water. "I… I just wanted to save my sister from herself. She was going down a road that even I would avoid. When I was defeated, I told Lord Death to look for my diary, in which I wrote the true story."

Maka stared at the ancient witch with disbelief. Lord Death had been deceived? Was that really true? Could it be possible? "Circe…"

"I miss her…" Circe muttered. "Hecate has become something that threatens all of reality. She… she has to be stopped, no matter the cost." The witch's eyes soon became spilled with tears, but she didn't react. "She has to be…" She didn't finish, but Maka didn't need her to. She knew what Circe was saying.

"Circe, I…" She paused, not knowing exactly what to say. "I'll try to find a way to stop her… without killing her."

Circe looked at Maka as though she had just grown a second head. Was her suggestion really so ludicrous? The witch chuckled humorlessly. "You really are young, you know that?" Maka raised an eyebrow at that. "I would love nothing more than for Hecate to return to who she once was. But you have no idea just how far gone she is at this point. She may not look it, or even act like it, but she has been completely consumed by madness. There's no going back for her."

There was a tense silence for several moments. "I… I see," Maka said with a depressed expression. The way Circe was talking now… she sounded utterly defeated. Maka had initially thought of her as a crazed witch, but now… she was just a girl who just wanted her sister back. Maka bowed respectfully. "Thank you for telling me all of this. Do you need a piece of my sanity now or-?"

"Just go," Circe stated, turning her back on the scythe meister. "I just want to be alone right now."

"… Okay," with that, Maka performed her meditation technique again, disappearing form her inner world.

Circe sat alone in the dull grey desert now, staring down at her feet. "Dammit…" she muttered miserably as tears streaked down her cheeks without pause. This was something she hadn't done in centuries. This was something she thought she'd never actually do again. She cried, sobbing loudly. She couldn't save her sister, and now they were both going to pay the price for it. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, sister…"


	11. Chapter 11

Lord Death stood before his mirror, Maka standing a few feet behind him. The young meister had just finished sharing what she had learned from Circe with the Grim Reaper, and he was now silently pondering it. His silence made Maka nervous. It was impossible to tell what was going on through his mind thanks to that mask, and even if it wasn't there, she doubted she would've been able to read his expression anyway.

She was about to turn and leave when Death suddenly gave a heavy sigh. "I should've seen this coming from the beginning," he said with a tone of regret. "Hecate always did believe in an eye for an eye, and she always strove to make a perfect society. But I never once thought that she would go quite this far."

Maka gave a slight nod. "I was shocked to learn about that myself. What do you think drove her to do this?"

Death shrugged. "I'm not entirely certain. Perhaps she has merely misguided herself, and created a delusion where she can create a world that mirrors her mindset, or she may have always been this twisted. I can't say for certain though. She was never the expressive type."

"So we'll have to find her fast before she can cause any significant damage, right?" Maka asked seriously.

Death shook his head. "I have the feeling that she's already on her way here."

"What? Why?"

"Because of you, Maka Albarn. Hecate likely already knows that you carry her sister within your soul, so she's probably going to come after you at some point. And get the feeling that that day is going to be-" Suddenly, the sound of an explosion interrupted him. After a tense moment of silence, he said, "… very soon."

-o-

Hecate walked forward down the street, barely taking notice to all of the attempts of the meisters and their weapon to destroy the witch. She had an unbelievably powerful barrier surrounding her and he group of assassins. Raith complained that he wanted to kill the meisters, but couldn't because the barrier worked both ways. He was quickly silenced by a quick, emotionless glare by the ancient witch.

She watched as several meisters seemed to be resonating with their weapons. She scowled at this. "How annoying," she said in a slightly irritated voice. She raised her hand and said, "Pulse." As soon as all the meisters launched their attacks and hit Hecate's barrier, they were sent flying by a massive shockwave of sheer force, some crashing into buildings, most ending up with broken bones. Hecate simply continued forward until the Death Weapon Meister Academy came into view. She raised her arm over her head. "Go," she said to her followers. "Do whatever you please. But Maka Albarn is mine."

All five of the assassins behind her sprinted away to do their own thing. Hecate couldn't help but notice that Bishop and Lillian both looked like they had something particular in mind. She ignored it. Whatever they were going to do, it wouldn't affect her plans in any way.

-o-

Black Star and Tsubaki leaped from rooftop to rooftop towards where the series of explosions had been coming from. Both young ninja had already been waiting for a moment like this, when they would have to face the enemy that now threatened their hometown. Black Star grinned in anticipation. He was hoping that he would get to fight that Bishop guy again. He had a score to settle with that jackass.

Tsubaki's eyes flinched slightly. "Black Star, I sense him! That guy we fought when all of this started!"

That made the blue-haired ninja's grin grow wider. "Heh, I'm looking forward to this! I'm gonna get me some payback for what that guy did!" The duo continued across the city, both keeping an eye out for the smoker.

Eventually, they stopped in front the very man that they were looking for. He was standing casually on the roof, his hands in his pockets and a cigarette hanging from his lips. He had a small grin on his visage. "About time you got here," he said as he took his cigarette out and breathed out a small cloud of smoke. "I was getting tired of waiting for you two. I sincerely hope that you've gotten at least a little bit better."

Black Star smirked cockily. "We've been training non-stop ever since we last fought you. You're no match for the man who's gonna surpass God!"

Bishop chuckled. "I seem to remember you saying something along those lines last time. Be careful kid. The higher you reach, the further you have to fall. Believe me, I know. I've experienced it before."

Black Star raised an eyebrow at that. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Fight me and find out, kiddo," Bishop replied as he made a "come here" motion with his finger.

The young ninja nodded and said, "Tsubaki, kusarigama mode!" Tsubaki immediately transformed into her familiar sickle-and-chain form, and Black Star grabbed the hilt of both ends of the weapon. "All right, Bishop! No holding back this time! Right to the death!"

Again, Bishop chuckled. "What a funny choice of words. All right then." He replaced his cigarette and returned his hand to its pocket. "Come at me whenever you're ready, kid."

With that said, Black Star charged at him, Tsubaki's blades ready to cut through something. He hacked at Bishop, who simply ducked under the attack. The would-be assassin attempted a downward slash, but Bishop rolled out of the way before the blade could make contact with him. The smoker then delivered a back kick straight to Black Star's face, which sent the boy skidding across the floor toward the edge of the building. When he recovered from the blow, Black Star charged again.

"Tsubaki, ninja sword mode!" he shouted. Tsubaki quickly shifted into a short blade, which Black Star held in a reverse grip. He swung the blade at Bishop's ankles, but Bishop jumped over the attack, flipped forwards once, and slammed the back of his foot into the back of Black Star's head. The blow was so strong that it forced the young assassin straight off the roof and through a building across the street before he crashed into the street on the other side.

"Black Star!" Tsubaki called to her meister worriedly. The boy groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head in pain. "Black Star, are you all right!?"

"Ugh… I'm fine," the meister assured her. "I've been through way worse than this. You of all people should know that by now." He stood back up on his feet. "And I've never given up easily! I can already tell that I've found the perfect opponent to test my skills out on!"

Tsubaki sighed at that. Her meister truly was thick-headed. It was then that she noticed an upward breeze. But the wind doesn't go up, does it? She then focused above, and was shocked by what she discovered. "Black Star, look above you!"

Black Star looked at her in confusion for a moment, then looked up. His eyes went wide at what he saw. Bishop was standing upside down in midair, smirking down at the meister and weapon. "W-what the? How are you doing that?"

Bishop gave a little laugh as he turned upright and slowly descended back to Earth. "Let me tell a little story, kid. A story about a fellow who sought to achieve status above that of the gods. His name was Aeolus, and he was the Master of the Winds. Though his powers were godlike, he was not classified as a god. Eventually, he got sick of his lack of title and challenged Zeus, the King of the Gods, in single combat, claiming that he was superior to the king. Zeus was infuriated by Aeolus's claim and accepted the challenge. The king won without even the most minimal effort.

"As punishment for his insolence, Aeolus was rendered mortal and banished from the world of the gods. He traveled the world then, angry and vengeful. He eventually settled for trying to outmatch Death so that he could buy himself time to plot out his revenge against the gods. He found the Grim Reaper and challenged him to single combat, and after an epic battle between the winds and death personified… Aeolus was defeated. However, his soul refused to die. It stayed in his body, and kept his body alive. To this day, the Master of the Winds wanders the Earth, aiming to achieve his goals by whatever means necessary."

Black Star stared wide-eyed at the man standing in front of him. It took him a second to put two and two together. "So… you're saying that you're…" He trailed off.

Bishop nodded with another chuckle. "That's right, kiddo. I am the Master of the Winds. My true name is Aeolus."

-o-

**Fun fact: Black Star's initials are BS. Think about it.**


End file.
